Cabinet for holding paper-files



(No Muriel.) Y

H. W. RBADE.

CABINET POR HLDING PAPER FILES.

No. 888,800. Patented Mar; 28, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY NV. READE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CABINET FOR HOLDlNG PAPER-FILES.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 338,300, dated March23, 1886.

Application filed December 7, 1885. Serial No. 184,889. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY YV. READE, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulVImprovements in Cabinets for Holding Paper- Files; and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved construction inling cabinets or cases adapted to receive and hold a number ofpaper-holding files or iiling-receptacles; and it consists in thematters hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

The main features of the device herein shown as embodying` my inventionconsist in a case or cabinet provided with a series of compartments forholding filing-receptacles, each of said compartments being providedwith a sliding nie-support or file-holding frame adapted to receive ailing-receptacle, and provided with devices whereby tlie said receptaclemay be detachably secured thereto, the frame being provided at its innerend with devices constructed to interlock with suitable engaging devicesupon the cabinet in such manner that the frame when pulled out of itscompartment in the cabinet may be allowed to hang in a verticalposition, so as to permit the convenient inspection of the contents ofthe filing-receptacle attached thereto.

rIhe le herein shown in connection with the cabinet is of that classcomprising an outer case and a series of pockets to receive the lettersor papers, such as is shown, for instance, in a prior patent, No.329,676, granted to me upon the 3d 'day of November, A. D. 1885. Otherkinds of files or filing-receptacles may, however, be employed inconnection with the ling-cabinet shown.

rIhe invention may be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure I is a perspective view of afiling-cabinet constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is avertical section through one of the compartments of the cabinet shown inFig. l, showing the sliding frame in place within the said compartment.

.moved from the cabinet.

Fig. 3 is a detail section through the devices connecting the slidingframe with the cabinet, showing the frame in its position when re- Fig.4 is a view illustrating another form of the sliding frame oriile-holder. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view illustrating theconnecting device between the file-holder and cabinet, such as may beused in connection with the leholder shown in Fig. 4t.

In the said drawings, A is the case or cabi net, which is provided witha series of conipartments, A', separated at the front of the cabinet byhorizontal bars or cross-pieces a. B is a file-holder or sliding frameadapted to enter one ofthe said compartments, and C is a paper-holder oriiling-receptacle adapted to fit within or upon the frame B, anddetachablysecured to the latter.

In the particular i'orm of the device illustrated in Figs. I, 2, and 3,the drawer-B comprises a base, B, and a front piece or ledge, B2,attached to the outer margin of the base, and adapted to iit and fillthe outer opening of the compartment when the drawer is inserted withinthe latter. The outer edge of the ledge B2 is desirably connected withthe base by braces or brackets b, said braces and the ledge beingpreferably made of proper size and shape to closely iit the exterior ofthe -iiling-case C, which is conveniently held upon the drawer bypivoted plates or buttons b', attached to the upper surface of thedrawer near its inner edge and engaging the inner edge of thereceptacle. The bacli'wall of the particular filing-receptacleillustrated isloutwardly curved or conveXed in a familiar manhner toimitate the back of a book, and the' inner surface of the ledge B'2 isconcaved to iit the shape of the receptacle. Vhen this construction isused, the engagement of the buttons b with the receptacle will hold thelatter from movement away from the ledge, and

thereby prevent the outer or back portion of Y ISO the cabinet shown inthe said Figs. 1, 2, and 3 comprise two hook-shaped metal ears, D,attached to the inner e`dge of the base B and provided with slots d d,the said slots being arranged to engage horizontal rods E E, secured attheir forwardand rear ends, respectively, in the cross-piece ci and therear wall, a', of the cabinet.

The ears D and the slots d dtherein are relatively so arranged withreference to the rods E E that while the frame B is being thrustinwardlyand when said frame is in place within the compartment the rods willengage the upper or outerparts'of the slots, as clearly shown in Fig. 2,so as to sustain the inner end of the frame, and when the frame ispulled outwardly and its outer end allowed to drop toward the front ofthe cabinet the curved parts of the ears adjacent to their free endswill engage the top and the inner surface of the crosspiece a, so as tosustain the frame in a vertical position, as shown in Fig. l. The slotsd are made of sufficient length to permit the necessary swinging orrotary movement of the frame to allow it to hang vertically, or nearlyso. The engagement of the rods with the outer ends of the ears when theframe is in the positionlast described obviously prevents thedisengagement of the hook from the crosspiece by au accidental bodilylifting or dis' placement ofthe frame.

The part d of the ear D, adjacent to'its point of attachment to theframe, is preferably bent outwardly, so as to stand vfree from the frontsurface of the cross-piece when the frame is drawn out and allowed tohang as shownA in Fig. 1, thereby preventing contact ot' the ear withthe said front surfaces of the cross-piece, and rendering unnecessarythe'disgurement of the front surface of said crosspiece by notching, aswould otherwise be necessaryin order to allow the ear to rotate aboutthe said cross-piecein movingthe frame in the manner described:

In carrying out my invention other forms of frame or sliding supportadapted to suitably sustain the ling-case and provided with meansengaging the cabinet so as to support it in a vertical position whendrawn outwardly may be used in place of the frame shown-fas, forinstance, a skeleton frame made of wire, as shown in Fig. 4 orotherwise, may be employed, instead of' the wooden frame abovedescribed. In` the employment of a skeleton frame the filing receptaclewill usually be made to completely ll the front opening of thecompartment, and the back of the receptacle will be visible when thelatter is inserted in the cabinet.

In the particular construction of the frame illustrated in Fig. fi thesaid frame consists of wires bent and connected to form parallel piecesb2, united by horizontal cross-pieces b3 b4 at the outer end of theframe, and a third horizontal cross piece, b5, at the inner end thereof,the wires composing the parallel bars b2 being conveniently bent to formears F, which may be made of a shape similar to the ears D, (shown inFigs. l, 2, 3,) and adapted to engage the rods E E, but which, as shown,are made of other shape to engage parts upon the cabinet arranged tointerlock with said ears when the frame is drawn out, as will behereinafter described.

As a means of fastening the receptacle to the frame shown in Fig. 4, thewire composing the frame is bent to form two prongs, If, adapted toengage the receptacle at the inner edge ofthe latter. Y Y

In the use of files such as is shown in Fig. l in connection with theframe shown in Fig. 4, the file may be conveniently secured to the frameby first engaging the prong b with the inner edge of the iile and thenforcing or springing outwardly the cross-bar b4 while the back of theile is being inserted in place, so that the said cross-bar will act witha spring-pressure against the back of the file to prevent displacementof the latter. "A handle, 57, for drawing the frame from the cabinet, isshown in the drawings as formed by bending the wire forming thecross-bar b4 in suitable form, as clearly shown in the said Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5 is shown a simple and convenient construction in theconnecting device between the frame B and receptacle, which is adaptedfor use both in the form of frame shown in Fig. 4 and that shown inFigs. 2 and 3, as well as other forms of frame. In this case the ears Fare constructed to project at right angles to the plane of the frame andengage and slide in grooves g, formed Yin horizontal bars Gr, which inthis construction take the place of the rods E E, before described, as ameans for supporting and guiding the inner edge of the frame. The saidgrooves g are extended into the cross-piece a, and in said cross-piece,at the outer ends of the grooves, are secured hooks H, adapted to engageand become interlocked with the said ears F when the frame reaches theoutward limit of its movement, the crosspiece a being notched or cutawayin its outer IIO face, to allow the ears to swing'about the hookswhen the frame assumes a vertical position, as clearly shown in full anddotted lines in Fig. 5. The said hooksHare desirably formed withinwardly-projecting horizontal parts 7L, adapted to engage the ears Fshortly before the frame is drawn fully out, so as to prevent accidentaldisengagement of one or both of the ears from the hooks in case theframe is by accident lifted bodily while being handled.

In the construction last described the frame may obviously be entirelydetached from the cabinet by lifting the rear part of said frame whenthe latter is partially drawn out, so as to disengage the ears F fromthe hooks and grooves. rIlhe horizontal parts la of the hooks, for thepurpose of preventing such disengagement when the case is in place uponthe frame, are made of such length that the ears may be freed therefrombefore the rear edge of the case enters the front opening of thecabinet, inasmuch as otherwise the contact of the said case with theupper edge of the opening would prevent the rear end of the frame frombeing lifted to disengage the ears and hooks.

The filing-case herein shown as employed 'in connection with thesupporting-frame comprises a main part or receptacle, C', provided withbottom, side, and back walls, a hinged cover, Cf", and a series ofpockets for papers formed by index-sheets G3, and folding side pieces orgussets, C, which latter are attached to the bottom wall of the part Cand the hinged cover G2 in such manner that when the cover is swungoutwardly the several pockets will be opened for the convenientinsertion of papers therein, said receptacle being similar to that shownin the prior Patent No. 329,676, hereinbefore referred to. The frameconstructed as above set forth presents especial advantages when used inconnection with the filing-case shown, for the reason that when theframe is removed from the cabinet and allowed to hang vertically the leis brought into such position that the cover C2 may be allowed to dropoutwardly, and the several pockets will stand open and in a positionconvenient for the insertion of letters therein, as clearly shown inFig. l. The said case also is adapted for con venient attachment to theframe by the engagement of the catches or buttons b b with the edge ofthe bottom wall of the part C of said receptacle. The employment of saidframe will be found convenient also in connection with the common formof filing-re ceptacles in which the papers or letters are held upon theiile by devices engaging said papers or letters at one of their edges,or by being placed between index-sheets similarly held in the le, thepapers in a file of this character, when the latter is attached to theframe, being conveniently opened or separated for inspection by throwinga portion thereof into a horizontal position, whereby the top paper ofthose that are thus separated will be placed horizontally and in aconvenient position for examination or perusal.

It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to theparticular features of construction herein shown, except as suchfeatures are made the subject of specific claims; but that my inventionembraces, broadly, a sliding support or frame adapted for the attachmentof and as a support for a filing-receptacle, and connected with acabinet by means adapted to sustain the drawer adjacent to the openingof the cabinet when removed entirely therefrom. Y

I am aware that it has been proposed heretofore to employ, in connectionwith a filesupporting frame containing a series of compartments orcells, a series of filing-receptacles, each provided uponthe middle partof its wall, which is lowermost when the file is within its compartment,with a hook adapted to engage a cross-rod upon the frame as the file isdrawn out, in such manner as tosustain the file upon the front of saidframe, and a device embodying these features of construction is not,therefore, embraced in the appended claims, which cover a slidingsupport or frame adapted for sustaining a filing-receptacle madeseparate therefrom, as hereinbefore fully set forth.

It is to be understood also that the appended claims cover the devicesand parts therein set forth when the said devices or parts are made` insuch manner as to obtain either, any, or all of the advantages orperform either, any, or all of the functions obtained or performed bysaid devices or parts in the particular construction thereof hereinillustrated.

I claim as my invention*- I. The combination, with a cabinet and aling-receptacle, of a sliding frame adapted to receive and hold thefiling-receptacle, mutually-interlocking parts upon the rear or innerend of the frame and the cabinet, constructed to sustain the frame in avertical position when drawn out of the cabinet, and attaching devicesupon the frame for securing the filing-receptacle thereto, substantiallyas described.

2. The combination, with a cabinet provided with a cross-piece, a, of asliding frame adapted to receive and hold a filing-receptacle, rods E Eupon the cabinet, secured at their forward ends in the said cross-bars,and slotted hook-shaped ears upon the frame, sliding upon the rods andadapted to engage the said cross-piece, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with a cabinet and a ling-receptacle, of a slidingframe provided with a front piece or ledge, B2, engaging the back edgeof the filing-receptacle, attaching devices, as b b', for securing therear or inner edge of the receptacle to the frame, andmuwally-interlocking parts upon the cabinet and the rear edge of theframe, constructed to sustain the latter in a vertical position whendrawn out of the cabinet, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY W. READE.

litnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, M. E. DAYTON.

IIO

